This invention relates generally to washing machines, and, more particularly, to apparatus and methods for reducing water consumption in washing machine rinse cycles.
Washing machines typically include a cabinet that houses an outer tub for containing wash and rinse water, a perforated laundry basket within the tub, and an agitator within the basket. A drive and motor assembly is mounted underneath the stationary outer tub to rotate the laundry basket and the agitator relative to one another, and a pump assembly pumps water from the tub to a drain to execute a wash cycle. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,298.
Traditionally, rinse portions of wash cycles include a deep-fill process wherein articles in the laundry basket are completely submerged in water and the water is agitated. As such, a large amount of water mixes with detergent remaining in the laundry after they are washed. While the concentration of detergent in the water is relatively small, a large amount of detergent can be removed from the laundry due to the large amount of water involved. It has become increasingly desirable, however, to reduce water consumption in washing operations.
At least some types of washing machines have reduced water consumption in rinsing operations by using a re-circulating rinse water flow. In this type of system, rinse water is collected in a bottom of the tub and pumped back to a plurality of spray nozzles located above the basket. The rinse water is re-circulated for a predetermined length of time before being discharged to a drain. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,722. While such systems are effective to reduce water consumption, they increase the costs of a washing machine by employing pumps, conduits etc. that result in additional material and assembly costs.